Plants
by TumblingTroublesomeTumbleweeds
Summary: Outside the door the four listening in-since Sasori decided he didn't have a choice-mentally slapped themselves in the face. Zetsu/Ino


Ino was fixing her hair when the door to her room burst open. "Hi Hidan!" the blonde said smiling cheerfully. Hidan smiled back before stepping in and shutting the door "what's up?" she asked him. Hidan crossed to her "I just wanted to talk" he smirked standing behind her.

Ino smiled "okay!" she said happily "what do you want to talk about?" Hidan smirked again and pushed her against the wall pinning her wrists to the wall. The smile disappeared from her face "wh-what are you doing?" she asked voice quavering as her wrists began hurting.

His purple eyes glinted cruelly "you're a fucking tease" he said and pressed his lips to hers.

Damn the Jashinist was a good kisser but he kissed hard. Ino could feel her lips being bruised. She whimpered and struggled against him.

He broke the kiss and slipped a hand up her shirt. She took in a deep breath and at the top of her lungs screamed "RAAAAAAAAAAAPE!"

She heard the sound of a chair being knocked over and footsteps pounding the hallway.

"Get off her!" a feminine voice shouted and Hidan was sent flying across the room. Ino met a pair of angry violet eyes.

Reika had thrown Hidan across the room and Kakuzu and Zetsu were standing in the doorway.

Ino was shaking and Zetsu went over to help her stand up. She leaned heavily on the human venus flytrap. "You alright?" white Zetsu asked softly and Ino nodded.

Reika stalked towards the Jashinist "you perverted asshole!" she shouted and let out a string of curse words as she raised her fist to punch in his face but her wrist was trapped by Deidara who showed up out of the blue "that's not necessary un" he said quietly.

Reika looked like she was about to argue but one look from Deidara made her go quiet. Kakuzu stepped forward "Hidan" he groaned "rape charges are expensive" he grumbled irritably. Hidan wiped the blood from his lips.

"She was flirting with me" he spat and Zetsu narrowed his eyes **"you're a horrible liar" **black Zetsu said angrily "don't lie about Ino that way" white Zetsu said just as angry.

Ino looked up at Zetsu through her eyelashes "thank you" she whispered leaning against him. He nodded and everyone turned to leave.

Wham! Reika had whirled around and punched Hidan hard enough to rip off his head. "Eww" Ino muttered burying her face in Zetsu's shoulder to avoid the blood spatter. Zetsu wrapped an arm around her shoulder protectively.

Deidara folded Reika into a hug "stop un" he said forcefully trapping her with his arms. She struggled against him but Deidara was stronger.

"That was uncalled for un" he whispered in her hair "he deserved it" she said bitterly and Deidara squeezed her in warning.

Ino smiled at that. She liked being defended by her friend and protected by…she looked up at Zetsu. Oddly enough, she had feelings for him.

"Ah fuck!" Hidan's head shouted "Kakuzu you bastard, fix me!" Kakuzu looked down at him "I'll let you think about what you did for a while" he said exiting the room. "FUCK YOU!" Hidan screamed.

Deidara kept a tight hold on Reika to make sure she didn't do anything else stupid.

Zetsu escorted Ino to her room and waited at the door for her to change.

Ino was staring in her closet, not particularly focused on anything but her thoughts of Zetsu. There was something about him that Ino fell for. Maybe it was the way he argued with himself or the fact that they were both linked by plants.

There was a knock on the door and Deidara pushed Reika inside "behave un" he warned "don't go trying to beat up Hidan anymore yeah" Reika sulked and slammed the door in his face.

"Why are you staring into your closet?" she asked Ino, flopping down on her bed. Ino shrugged "you and Deidara are close right?" Reika rose an eyebrow "yeah we are…why?" Ino shrugged again "just wondering…what attracted you to him?"

Reika was curious now "I don't know…there was just something about him…maybe it was the way he always ended his sentences with un, yeah or hm or maybe it was an art connection. I don't really know"

Ino nodded and sat down next to her absentmindedly stroking her hair "but you like him right?" Reika's eyebrow rose higher "what's with all these questions?"

Ino sighed "well…I think I like Zetsu" she confessed. Reika sat up "that's great!" she beamed

Ino sighed again "what's wrong?" Reika asked the blonde "I don't know if he likes me though" she said sadly. Reika sighed "ask him" she told her friend "if the way he reacted when you yelled rape was any indication I doubt you'll be shot down"

Ino's eyes lit up "what do you mean?" she asked and Reika laughed "well, Zetsu, Kakuzu and I were kind of arguing when we heard a scream" she explained "now there are only three girls in the Akatsuki including me and since obviously I didn't scream it was either you or Konan. We figured it was you. Zetsu was furious, he was in such a hurry to get to you he knocked over a chair and forgot to use his phasing ability"

Ino smiled "you really think he likes me?" Reika nodded "positive" she said grabbing a brush off the night stand.

"Let's get you fixed up and you can ask him yourself" she said running it through Ino's blonde locks.

Once Ino was decent Reika pushed her out the door. The girls knew Zetsu had his own room, two's company but threes a crowd and two is bad enough.

Ino hesitated outside his door "why can't you ask him?" she asked Reika nervously. Reika rolled her eyes and knocked on the door twice before bolting.

"Where are you going?" Ino cried as the door opened.

"Hey Ino" white Zetsu said surprised "what can we do for you?" Ino fidgeted "can I come in?" she asked and Zetsu nodded shutting the door behind them.

Reika crept to the door and pressed against it, listening. "What are you listening for un?" Deidara asked walking by with Kisame and Sasori.

"Shh!" Reika hissed "Ino likes Zetsu and she's telling him" the trio exchanged glances and Sasori hit himself on the forehead with his palm "you're not seriously…" he began but Deidara and Kisame were glued against the door before he could finish.

Ino sat down on Zetsu's bed and fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. She liked his room; it smelled like the greenhouse her family grew their flowers in.

Zetsu was looking at her expectantly "thanks for earlier" she said not meeting his eyes. Zetsu smiled "Hidan's a jerk" **"for once we agree on something" **Ino giggled "I think we all agree on that" she smiled.

Zetsu's heart skipped a beat when the blue-eyed blonde smiled; he was undoubtedly head over heels in love.

"So did you want something?" white Zetsu asked the atmosphere in the room nervous. Ino nodded "I umm…actually I wanted to tell…no actually ask you…well tell and ask…" Ino stuttered

Outside the door the four listening in-since Sasori decided he didn't have a choice-mentally slapped themselves in the face.

_Pull yourself together!_ Inner Ino shouted angrily _this is not a time to be acting like Hinata!_

Ino sighed "umm I wanted to say…that I kinda…" she took a deep breath "IthinkIkindalikeyou" she blurted out.

Zetsu raised an eyebrow

The group outside was feeling more and more embarrassed for her with each word she said. Reika whispered in Deidara's ear "what did she say?" Deidara shrugged and passed it down the line.

Eventually they decided that was her confession…her unintelligible confession.

"Can you repeat that?" white Zetsu asked **"and maybe slow it down a couple hundred speeds?" **black Zetsu had to get his two cents in.

Ino took a deep breath "Zetsu" she said looking him squarely in the eyes "I'm embarrassing myself this way because I have something incredibly important to tell you" she said

Zetsu raised another eyebrow and Ino continued "what I've been trying to say this entire time is that….."

The group outside the door held their breath and pressed closer

"…I really, really like you…in fact I think I might even love you" Ino finished _whe_w_, glad I got that over with _she thought.

Zetsu smiled "you do?" white Zetsu asked and Ino nodded "that makes me really happy" he smiled brilliantly and threw his arms around Ino "because I love you too" Ino gasped in surprise

"Really?" she asked "really" he confirmed kissing her.

The group outside was silently cheering. Things had worked out in the end for both Ino and Zetsu and to be truthful every single one of the Akatsuki members were aware of Zetsu's feelings for Ino…all except for Ino.

They were so busy cheering they didn't hear the footsteps at the door.

The door swung open and they toppled in the room landing in an unceremonious mess.

They looked up to see Zetsu with his arm around Ino. The couple was staring at the heap on the floor half amused and half annoyed.

"You were listening the whole time?" Ino demanded. The group looked sheepish "it was all for your own good" Reika nodded vigorously as Deidara helped her stand up.

"**Really Sasori?"** black Zetsu said with a hint of amusement staring at the puppet. Sasori looked away "they made me" he denied ignoring the angry outburst from the trio.

Zetsu shook his head and Reika cut straight to the point "so are you guys a couple now?" Ino blushed and Zetsu pulled her closer "are we?" Ino looked up at him. Zetsu smiled "I think we are" white Zetsu said **"I second that" **black Zetsu put in and they kissed.

Reika jokingly muttered something about polygamy and paled at the glare Zetsu shot her way.

"Congratulations guys!" she said inching towards the door and racing down the hall to get away from the vengeful Zetsu.

Deidara shook his head "she's always putting her foot in her mouth un" he said and all eyes turned to him "so when are YOU going to tell her?" Ino demanded "they're practically a couple as it is" Sasori joined in.

Deidara flushed "I'm gonna go to the bathroom un" he said taking off after Reika.

The remaining group began laughing as Ino and Zetsu exchanged another kiss much to the wolf-whistles of the rest.

Hidan walked in the room, head back on. Zetsu tugged Ino closer "touch her and I'll feed you to my carnivorous plants" white Zetsu growled **"why don't we just eat him?" **black Zetsu suggested and Ino pulled a face "babe…you're not kissing me if your breath smells like raw meat" she said causing the rest of the group including a recently returned Reika and Deidara to laugh

I don't know quite why I like writing about Ino and Zetsu…maybe it's because they have that 'plant connection' you know: Ino's family runs a flower shop and Zetsu…well, Zetsu is a plant. Perfect relationship yeah? I also had to throw my OC in there somewhere ^_^ besides, she makes interesting comic relief


End file.
